New York Law School created a new Pro Bono Initiative designed to comply with new requirements in New York state that all new attorneys complete 50 hours of pro bono service before they can be admitted to the bar.
The new admission requirement is expected to take effect on January 1, 2013.
New York Law School’s program, which begins immediately, will address the needs of low-income New Yorkers who lack access to legal services, help students gain experience and build skills, and instill in them the values of pro bono service.
“Expanding clinical and experiential opportunities has been a priority of mine since joining the Law School,” said Anthony Crowell, dean of New York Law School. “Our new Pro Bono Initiative provides NYLS with an excellent opportunity to showcase its ability to be nimble and build best-in-class programs to further the goals of access to justice as we train the next generation of lawyers.”
The NYLS Pro Bono Initiative will be led by Professor Carol Buckler, who also will direct the NYLS Center for Professional Values and Practice, which will expand its focus to include pro bono service. The Center will house the NYLS Pro Bono Initiative, and work closely with the NYLS Office of Clinical and Experiential Learning and the NYLS faculty, to expand the Law School’s clinical and experiential learning programs to scale.
It also will address diversity in the profession, professional ethics for the public sector, and the use of innovative legal technology to meet the needs of a changing profession.
